A Dark Alliance

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The sky above was filled with dark, fast moving clouds. The air was charged with tension, signaling the approach of a fearsome spring storm. The trees above churned from the wind’s fury, shaking leaves to the ground and stirring the underbrush into a frenzy. The forest, even though it was afternoon, was covered in shadow.

Vandheer walked carefully through the forest, his ears stiff and his tail held straight. Shadows from the dancing trees played across his white pelt, making the silver markings seemingly come alive. He had faced many storms from his travels, but he had been younger then and able to brave them; yet now he felt more inclined to find shelter rather than staying out in the gale. Yet, even as he searched for shelter, there was a comforting familiarity to the storm; the strong winds, the darkness, the air charged with tension- it all combined together in a beautiful harmony.

Through the darkness, Vandheer spotted a mass of stones, near perfect in their composition; they were smoother and more unnaturally shaped than any formation he had seen in his travels, besides one place he had chanced upon. It was almost as if some creature had created them, but Vandheer perished the thought; no animal would do such things. But all was well, for at least it provided shelter. Padding in, he found a decently covered spot near the entrance and sat down to watch the storm until sleep called to him.

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Koroneis's eyes glowed with charged power, her every step seemed to shake the ground with the pelting rain falling around her. The rain energized her, she had not felt such refreshing coolness since a few months ago and she was very, very grateful for the pouring weather. She revelled in it, loved it, and finally there was rain instead of the clouds, clouds, clouds, clouds clouds! But unfortunately, she did not possess the power of rain, and yes, she could fall sick.

The russet wolf bounded under the shelters of rock, and stone and mossy, viney pillars. She noticed another wolf sitting down near the entrance to the great structures, and was wary of the fact that he had been here longer. He would know all the good places to hide, to set up and ambush, to kill and maim. Koroneis did not want to set anything off that she would be unprepared for, especially in the rain - which despite it's great health properties, did not do well for vision.

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He was a creature of shadow.

And such darkness was all around him. Perhaps he would sleep later, when natural darkness fell with the coming night and the pounding rain faded away. For now, he would savor the shadows. Ever since his irksome visit to Geist, and since he drunk from the bottle, he found that he never truly tired, despite his age. He almost regretted not asking Geist of the details of the power, but he no longer needed her confirmation; Vandheer no longer needed sleep.

Additionally, while he was already used to shadows, they seemed to be even more welcoming to him, as if they were an extension of his very body. while he could not see or smell with them, it was almost as if he could feel with them. Through some experimental practice, Lorde found that while he could manipulate darkness into patterns, he could not control the size; he could only work with what was presented to him. But through this, Vandheer found that he could sense when more shadows entered his range of power. It was no small surprise that he sensed the wolf as she entered.

Turning slightly, he cast his vision over to the newcomer, clearing the shadows from the air to have a clear view of her while masking his own appearance in darkness.

"May I ask of your business here?" He asked in his deep, smooth voice.

(whew, still trying to get used to Vandheer again....)

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"I merely look for shelter from this rain, in response to your question. Rain is a godsend, and darkness with shadows are a beautiful thing. A creature of chaos such as myself could not help but love this weather, but I regret that I have no immunity from sickness." Koroneis replied in her own low, but feminine baritone. She looked across her to the one shrouded in shadow, cloaked in mystery. For now. She would eventually discover his identity, though the wolf having Shadow Manipulation was a very possible one. If she herself were not covered in the darkness, why should he be - unless he possessed Power?

She blinked impassively, still unsure whether he would attack, or not. It seemed as if she were not able to read his intentions unlike so many others, swimming in the waters of obscurity as he was, with his shadows. She tilted her head to the side slightly, curious as to what he was doing here as well. "And in return, Stranger, may I ask of yours?" She queried.

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Vandheer snorted from the darkness. It was yet another petty wolf from the valley who treated the darker arts as a mere hobby. He immediately dismissed this wolf as any threat; with a flash, the shadows reformed in an almost hurricane like fashion, though Vandheer thought it best to conceal himself still, leaving a dark layer of shadows over his head and most of his body. e turned back to look at the rain, the shadows moving with him.

"I am old," he merely said, "I too seek shelter from the rain; is that not obvious?" He said, not looking over at the wolf. shadows began to condense and float around him in patterns that matched those on his pelt. They began to swirl as he spoke. "I suggest you go over there. If you plan to end me in my sleep, know that I do not slumber. Leave me"

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"I plant not to harm anyone in their sleep, though even if I tried - the shadows would hinder me somewhat. And an old wolf has the greatest wisdom from years of experience. It would be unwise to rush into battle as such." Koroneis noted, her eyes muted out of the rain. So he did have Shadow Manipulation then. "I am Koroneis Greenfire, though Greenfire or Crow is alright. And who might you be?"

Her inquiry was a honest, simple one. It was true that Koroneis sought no fights, and in the rain, it was even better at quelling her natural instinct to respond with hostility. An experienced, cunning mind filled with logic and knowledge had tamped down her urge to fight, and the rain worked marvels and bightening up her mood more or less.

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Vandheer sighed. It seemed he would either have to venture out into the rain or endure small talk until the storm lifted. "You flatter me," he said, the shadows still masking his face. For an evil wolf, Greenfire certainly did seem rather open; this only served to arouse his suspicions even further.

"My name is Vandheer," he finally said after a few moments of rain-filled silence, "Vandheer Lorde." He allowed the shadows to return to their natural state, revealing himself fully in the semidarkness, though he still did not turn her way. While he was managing to control his anger, he was becoming mildly annoyed at the meaningless conversation. But for now, he would tolerate it.

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"Lorde is a powerful name - it carries much meaning, especially in the world of dominance. I would not attack one with that name either." Crow muttered in reply to Lorde, her voice taking on a tinge of respect for the wolf that had managed to at least put up with her for once. Or twice. Or three times. Maybe more. Her openness must be confusing him, sort of, but Koroneis didn't really care. Her attitude was only like this because of the weather, which pleased her slightly. So the russet red wolf sat in silence now, once or twice peering over at the one who called himself Vandheer Lorde.

His pelt was of a rich colour, and his eyes burned like molten pools of lava - though they were not necessarily that colour. She couldn't tell, not in the half-dark, and his fur seemed grey as the day above them. As the shadows retreated, she was able to see closer - though it was still obscured. A flatterer? The Greenfire was no flatterer, in fact, she despised it.

"I flatter no one, and no one flatters me. It is simply a matter of truth." Koroneis stated flatly, and shut her mouth - determined not to give in to her mind telling her to retaliate or submit to this wolf. She may like him, but she wouldn't give in. Wait, she liked him?

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Greenfire was right in that regard; his name had much power to it, as his family had once contained an extreme amount of it. But it was no more. Vandheer sat and watched the rain, listening in his own dark silence. He was pondering what this wolf was trying to achieve by talking to him; it was obvious that he was not about to sleep any tie soon, nor would the conversation benefit either of them in any way.

"No matter; I thank you for your compliments" he said dismissively, hi head finally turning to face her, his face absent of any expression and his pitch black eyes boring into her own. "I sense power in you; what have you received from this valley?" He asked, his face turning hard and cold. If his guess was right, he would have to watch himself; a normal wolf would be no threat to him, but one with an offensive power may prove different.

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"I have received Teleportation at it's basest level, but it can grow and become very useful. And you have Shadow Manipulation, it is clear enough from your abilities." She replied, raising up her right paw so Vandheer could see the power mark there. His way of speaking was not of the valley, in fact, it seemed old, like a timeless piece of work. Old, and poetic, yet dangerous and sharp. Beautiful.

Koroneis took note of his face, hard and cold, eyes burning an unnatural black. It seemed dark and malevolent, yet it held a sense of dominance and of power, true to his name. Vandheer Lorde was not one to be trifled with, but neither was Koroneis Greenfire. As she repayed the freezing gaze with her own, slightly warmer one, she focused on the spot just. next. to. him, and she was there. So close, just a hair's breadth away from touching the wolf.

"As you can see, it grants one the element of surprise, especially if you know how to hide your scent."

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So she has teleportation Vandheer thought. It would prove to be powerful if used correctly; it was yet another power that held a mild interest for him. If only he had the capability of mastering more than one power unique to the valley. The region would be his within a moon.

"At least you are educated in the magics of the valley," He said, his tone still bored. He did not flinch when Greenfire popped into existence next to him. He merely bent his head forward and chuckled emotionlessly. If anything, he was amused that she would even attempt such a bold move. However, he did not appreciate having a living being so close to him, especially a she wolf. It brought back too many memories. His chuckles slowly disappeared and formed into a cold frown, and shadows began to move quickly around the area. the darkness itself seemed to deepen.

"Remove yourself from my side; I do not appreciate being close to another." He said, his voice slowly growing dark nd angered.

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"Closeness is a deciding factor, yes, but this was only a demonstration. Rest assured, I would noy stay so close to one for so long." Koroneis chuckled in a tone to match his. And of course, she was definitely educated in the magics of the Mountain and that of the Power. It was beautiful, how mortal wolves could receive a piece of this ability to manipulate their surroundings and themselves, to change their world for better or for worse. With Vandheer, she sensed a growing darkness, with his power, he was sure to try to take on the Valley and conquer it, much like other petty Evils.

But she also had a grudging admiration for him, that he managed to appreciate the darkness and utilize it to aid himself in his goal. Koroneis respected wolves like that - after all, did she not do the same? Their only difference was that Koroneis would not have had the intention to conquer all living things. But Vandheer would be a useful addition to her growing numbers, if not, a strong and powerful ally.

"I sense power within your words, Lorde, perhaps you had strong family powers? If so, you would most likely be used to living in a pack, in which your family held a strong position of power. So with this is regard, what are your intentions of coming to the valley? Are you attempting to take over the place, the region? I sense that you want to."

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Vandheer frowned deeply as he once again allowed the shadows to return to their natural state; however, the shadows at his paws continued to swirl despite himself as a sign of his growing displeasure. "You honestly expect me to pour out my life plans to a stranger? how unorthodox. What is it you're truly trying to achieve? I dislike indirect wolves; they always seem to have something to hide," He growled, his eyes narrowing as he made direct eye contact with Greenfire,"I suggest you tell me now; you have not seen me angered."

His patience was slipping; he had killed many others in his day, and this she wolf would not be his last. The peaceful thunderstorm outside seemed to be loosing its calming aura as the seconds ticked by. The shadows at his paws began to swirl with an even greater intensity. The conversation better have a meaning soon, or Vandheer was going to allow his usually patient appearance to slide.

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"You want direct speech, eh? Then you can have direct. I am forming a pack. I want a strong, capable Alpha to work by my side, to lead with me. And I am still looking, but I see a possibility in you, with you. SO, will you join me?" Straight and simple. No nonsense. So Koroneis shed off her fluid layer, and gave Lorde the blunt, brash meaning behind her words. She was making a pack, she needed a capable Aplha in her absence and she was determined to get one. If Lorde wouldn't agree, she wold just leave and find another more willing one.(eww small post low muse)

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The shadows beneath his paws slowly began to calm down; at least she had finally taken his warning.
So the she wolf is forming a pack... Vandheer thought, his mind racing. His dreams of enveloping the valley in an eternal twilight could become reality if he had a band of wolves following hi. But having another wolf with as much power as him could easily become a threat. If she decided that his plan would be for her own gain... he'd have another rival to contend with, if he managed to survive. he shadows at his feet suddenly sharpened in focus, radiating outwards in a pattern of spikes. He could take a challenge; he was growing old anyway.

But he would still play it safe.

"Your offer interests me... however, I demand that all military and political aspects fall under my command." Vandheer said as he rose from sitting and padded over to the edge of the shelter and sat down again, gazing out over the storm as it raged fully. Lightning flashed, causing his shadows to succumb to its pure brightness before reforming again with a newfound sharpness. "If you are willing to agree to that... then I accept your offer."